Are 270 free standing awnings worth it... Darche Eclipse awning review
In this episode I review and run through the Darche Eclipse 270 LED free standing awning.
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It’s good when something just works without any bullshit to go with it, I like it
Yeah for sure!
I thought about the Darche, but at over 4 times the price of the Kings 270° & the Darche arms not being triangulated (just flimsy box tube), I went for the Kings which I have found to be brilliant value for money & very strong in heavy wind without legs to support it. Never go for the name alone.
The legs on this model aren't box tube.
@@vortexau I said & meant "arms" not the legs.
@@recommit heh, yeah I meant arms. They're not box tube on these.
Worked for a camping retailer,sold these..personally I'd have the Superpeg, big step up in quality
Looks great .Simple to use and good quality .Thank you for the demo. We will definitely remember for our next purchase.
Cheers mate!
Yeah saw these at the Brissy show. Nice bit of kit
They are great. Especially with all the doors zipped on. I did have a few problems in heavy rain with drainage and decided to go back to a 2m
Another good bit of gear from Darche.
I’ve had one for about 2 years, it’s done thousands of outback touring kms and in heavy rain I can’t fault it. Mine didn’t come with lights I retro fitted similar to the one in the clip. I think it’s a great product.
Nice review, very good price 👍
Also a good thing I’ve found it to heat shrink the zip tags saves hearing them rattle around in the wind while driving 👍🏼
My zip tags go right down the back, up and over.
Great vid mate! Easy watch and very informative. I picked up the new Eco version a couple of days ago. Little bit lighter and more water resistant. Very impressed with the quality for a lighter awning.
Cheers mate!
Funny, I'm in the market for an awning and started looking last night 😅 BTW, my son and I still love watching your videos. Your doing great stuff mate 👍
Thanks mate, appreciate it!
Great video, only thing I’d add is if you have a tailgate that lifts it will likely touch the canvas. This is fine but means you’ll get less coverage/shade at the back because it needs to be positioned more to the front to not hit the bar.
Nicely explained run through tylzz 👌 Its interesting to see the differencea between the darche because its a pot bigger than my drifta model. Its great you went through the pros and cons too 👌 How do you find it vs the drifta? O love the drifta for the simplicity and light weight . . . Its all a. Compromise jey 👍
They are awesome just be cautious of the wind
Yeah for sure!
Just put one of these on my Prado (the same new freestanding one), it's brilliant. 🤙🏽
Nice one!
I have 2 270s both also freestanding. I can't remember life before them lol.
I'm trying to set up the exact same set up, Darche 270 freestanding awning on a front runner roof on a patrol. And using the same awning brackets. I found that the whole rack twisted when opening the awning. Front Runner confirmed those brackets (the ones you are using and the ones I got) aren't for the freestanding awnings.
Hi Tyle & team, great review, a question, not hating but just an observation, I noticed this in the previous install, it seems from new already to be sagged and quite slack in the middle leading edge side view of the vehicle and awning. we have a couple of rigs in our club with Darche and always seem high quality and the price is good, except shipping costs us here in NZ, but be same with my other choices, eg BushCoy or Dest 4wd, maybe Drifta. Wind is a game changer here in NZ for any camping product, it always has been and can destroy even what some think are the toughest gear! I know I have done this myself and experienced in shelter setup etc, I have allot of sneaky places camp sites still for that, but our weather is has always been very varied and can change, I probably over think it! We can get heavy rain winds and even snow, esp on the tops of high range passes! Sun can fade shit that is impervious to fade here in NZ esp the South Island, it can rip Nissans apart like a hot knife through butter, even my 80 took a beating over the last 8 days in these conditions, blown shock, lower shock bushing, ripped out a front chassis sway bar mount, nearly lost my steering stabilizer, always do daily checks on the trail! We nearly lost a GQ as well, but that's another story! (Snow off camber and slow speed, 1900ms above Sea level, thin air, deadly combo) to be fair we had beautiful sun every day, only 1 day of wind and cloud and light rain, but snow, mud and water a plenty on the ground. An awning is on the list, but BushC and Desti4wd been top of my lists, Desti very expensive, so probably rule it out, BC I love the free standing arm design and canvas quality tensions and where its made(not in China) I will pay more for Aussie or SA made not Chinese made, this is an investment not a yearly replacement for me! Setup speed up and down is essential as when with the group, I barely get time to pull out a bog roll out, let alone eat in style (eg cook my famous Mav burger, which is quick, but the best burger in the World, put it up against Shaun Whales anytime, challenge accepted if they ever come to NZ btw 😜😜 Shanuo) these days its about the journey for me, 4wding is not about racing around with my hair on fire, I have fast cars and bikes for that, but in groups it seems its a hard objective to achieve most are way older than me as well sheesh🤣 I do love the inbuilt lights that's smart and use of intelligent technology! Price as said is good even here in NZD which usually we get hammered on locally or by markets! Wish there was more color options another seller for me on BC, Army green or Sandy Taupe is my thing, looks like it meshs we'll with that shade of pink you have on the GQ, 😛 Still not bad, I'll check around see if I can see one in person! cheers well presented thoughts, def want to see it in the rain n wind!👍
Nice vid. I have this as well as I loved the built in lights (prior I had a Kings normal one and a spider web of cables for lights). One thing I found was because I have a tub canopy on the Hilux the mount at the rear wasn't low enough (+ on a pioneer rack) causing me to not be able to get in the garage, this might be fixed now because apparently they do adjustable mounts but I had to weld a extra section onto it, about an extra inch, drill a hole then it was all good. If I knew about it first I might had brought the ones from Koan. The quality is good but I notice there is a little bit of sag in the very middle, I find the tightening straps ok but I brought the Campboss "Boss Ratchie" and they are amazing, you get a bit of a tighter pull on it and just easier in general. This also helped the sag a bit more but when you use the legs and raise it a bit then it totally goes away. Also just so you know, the tie down points you used are more for any build up of water, the actual ones are where the legs are. I just roll them up and leave them tied on when packing up. I have the walls (with windows) but haven't used them yet (was a black friday sale at tentworld and couldn't pass on the opportunity and savings), fingers crossed they fold back up though into their packaging otherwise I might just get a small bag. For myself I just pack the awning up with the 3 velcro points first then flip the bag over, another thing, the bag with all the cables, I make sure it is at the rear because otherwise zipping it up is a bit challenging. Thankfully I haven't had the bag leak at all while driving which is good as some people have complained of that in the past - and it has been smashed with the recent Qld weather, but I do zip it up all the way to the rear and because of that where they meet is under cover of the bag. Comparing to some others out there I still am happy with the purchase, especially for the lights, some do open up faster and seem to look like they have less sag (it isn't a lot but I notice it hence why I make sure it is a tight as possible), but are actually much more expensive, plus I like the styling and build quality of this, hopefully there isn't any wear where the 2 front arms fold in first and it meets the canvas, then the rest folds in to pack up, something to keep an eye on, regardless I recommend it.
Cheers for the input mate! Some good advice
I had the same awning. Was good but when Used it side by side with my mates bushwakka awning the Darche was significantly less stable.
Daughter has one of these Darche 270° units, setup is quick BUT we always find the legs & ropes need to be utilised making setup longer and tedious. Due to poor gradient of fall it constantly pools water if no ropes utilised creating valleys of escape and it flaps around with no legs in place. Yes, they're good but there are better options available but cost more. I personally utilise a Bunduawn, it's a 360° model. It's got lift arms that create over 300 mm of gradient as you fold awning out but I do utilise just one rope to create valley on long side during occassions of heavy rain. Stability ropes are of a length designed to be tired back to vehicle so vehicle can be moved at any time but I'm old school and secure to ground pegs. Horses for courses. Bottom line, they are both quickly deployed and packed away, hence as Tyler says, get utilised regularly opposed to our old side awning, too fiddly with minimal shelter on offer in comparison. Inbuilt lighting, mine doesn't have that fancy feature.
Thanks for your great advice
Cheers for the input mate!
At least they gave you a Good One. Several reviewers have sent theirs back due to poor fitting and quality control.
Been waiting for the drivers side to be released, no option to buy drivers side yet. Must be because of the quality issues with the passenger side???
The canvas isn’t tight and is a known defect. That will cause flapping in the wind and a higher chance of pooling with rain. Personally would be looking at bushwakka
How do you reckon one of these would go on a dual cab with a typical factory fibreglass canopy, that has a rear tailgate door that lifts upwards? It looks like the rear tailgate door could not lift up to its usual height, which would be higher than the roofline? And it would lift no higher than the awning arms?
Mine is similar on a Hilux, the rear tailgate doesn't hit (it is a ARB canopy though and doesn't go higher than the roofline as far as I'm aware but goes up a lot) and I have it mounted as low as possible to still open the passenger doors so I fit in the garage due to the lift kit. I mounted the L brackets downwards but the rear I had to weld an extension on the mount to get it level and lower. Darche now apparently have adjustable mounts and Koan sells them too, but my mod saved me from buying it and you can't see the weld anyways. The rear bar on the awning is exactly the same height as the pioneer roof rack I have attached.
Hey mate, I had a Gen 1 Darche 270 awning and found the transit bag to leak, apparently was a common issue. I'd open the bag up after rain and the awning would be wet. Have they fixed this issue with the gen 2?
Haven't had it happen to me mate so im guessing it's fixed.
They need to come down a little in price for a little bit more the quality doubles in other brands
I’ve been looking at 270 awnings for my Subaru Forester 2017 but I’m been worried about the weight do you think it would be ok
You are comparing a MBT to a scout tank, Forester is tiny compared to a GU, jmo Also remember loading rating, of roof and rack if you can get that info accurately! Seems complete overkill! Having had and owing a few Suby's and allot of time in Forester's and owned many Outback's, Id go a 180deg max or a std awning, but jmo fwiw! Also you can save weight by having a std straight pull, from the rear, I have seen that even on GQs and 80s, very smart and light, also you are only pulling out what you need, esp if short stops along the journey! I just added this up 16 -17kgs vs 26 kgs for a 270, that's 10kgs difference on a little Forester, say 9kgs for the 2x2.5m side awning and 8kgs for the 1.4x2m rear awning allowing for extras like mounting. and Way cheaper, not same quality but its also a $1300 savings on my comparison I used. again fwiw.
Would come down to roof rack quality mate, as long as your roof rack can handle it and you aren't over your load limits it should be sweet, but yeah depends how much you're going to use it a suppose vs just getting a smaller cheaper standard awning
Can you use the lights without putting the legs down ?
Yep you can
Hi Tyler can u leave the straps on and zip them up with awning? Great informative video
Hey mate, I haven't tried to be honest but I reckon you could
You can do this but the hooks are quite large and heavy, I’d be more worried about then denting or putting a hole in the canvas…it only adds 20 more secs to get them out of a drawer
I leave the straps on mine (same model) and they tuck in pretty easily.
i love these awnings, would love one but the only turn off for me is how bloody big they are when packed.
Yeah I don't find mine too bad but depends on your set up I suppose!
Invest in some big, plastic sand pegs. They have a screw tip, but the trick is the bury the tip into a deep hole in the sand, then fill the hole in and tamp it down. Don't screw them in. Stu
So you must put the poles down to use the lights? 🤔
Can use lights with poles up, just a little more light with poles down
Noice. About halff price of Bushcompany 270. :-)
3:14 watch that GME awning...😂😅
Darche really is the gear for people who have an idea, rate all mine !
Prefer your old 270 more streamlined less bulk and weight would have got one similar with folding legs i all about weight saving on 4x4s every bit count 2 make it more capable
Yeah less bulk and weight but nowhere near as much coverage, legs were seperate, no lights in built etc etc. There is always trade offs
Any discounts for the viewers 😊
I'll have to ask!
Tentworld.. $500 off
No it’s not, it’s still at RRP
@@tagged69 $999
Nice. “You get what you pay for.”
🌞🏕️
Honestly it looks more like an umbrella for the car, not much shade to sit under !!
Depends on the sun direction that's just what happens with the sun 😅😂